This 10-week seminar explores the politics of state and identity formation in the Middle East through a thematic approach in order to examine the protracted crises in the region. Topics and case studies of identity conflicts/formations covered in the seminar will reflect on the social structures, political currents, and economic relations to understand the contemporary Middle East. Our focus will be on the foundational dynamics of ongoing identity conflicts such as making of the modern state in the Middle East, varieties of nationalism, cycles of authoritarianism, and rise and fall of social movements.